Apple has a new all-aluminum remote

While a redesigned Apple Remote lacks a rumored multi-touch surface, it comes wrapped in an entirely aluminum enclosure so it no longer looks out of place alongside your all-aluminum Apple setup.

A redesigned Apple Remote is yet another thing that went unnoticed amidst a slew of high-profile Apple upgrades announced Tuesday. Joining less buzzed updates, like improved wireless appliances, in addition to keyboards, MagSafe adapter, and VESA mount for new iMacs, the new Apple Remote hardware is still IR-enabled and backwards compatible with 2005 or later products that worked with the previous-generation Apple Remote, including Macs.

Design-wise, the remote looks like like an iPod nano design-reject, sporting an all-aluminum enclosure with the iPod-like navigation wheel, in addition to the separate black-colored menu and play/pause buttons sitting below the wheel. The “wheel” is actually an ordinary circle with four buttons (volume up and down, previous/next) rather than a ClickWheel. This is a slight change compared with the previous-generation remote that had the play button inside the round navigation control. The online Apple Store describes the new remote as follows:

The Apple Remote gives you total command of your music, photos, videos, and DVDs from anywhere in the room. It works with Front Row — a menu-based, full-screen interface — to make accessing the digital content on your Mac as simple as navigating your iPod. When you press the Menu button, your desktop fades and the sleek Front Row interface takes its place to give you control over your music in iTunes, your photos in iPhoto, the videos in your Movies folder, and your DVDs. Turn up the volume. Shuffle. Skip to the next chapter on your DVD. Play a slideshow, a home movie you made in iMovie, even a movie trailer.

The device’s back reveals a redesigned, coin-operated cap providing access to the inside battery compartment that holds a single CR2032 battery. The gizmo also works with iPods and iPhones connected to the iPod Universal Dock, enabling you to operate your media player or the phone from the comfort of your sofa, including accepting incoming calls by hitting the Pause key. You can also use the remote to select playlists, videos, and slideshows across your room, or jump to the next/previous song.

Apple Remote (2009-10-20): Back

Apple Remote (2009-10-20): Front

Apple Remote (2009-10-20): Front, left angle

Apple stopped shipping Apple Remote with iMacs a while ago, leaving the Apple TV as the only product that ships with the stock remote. Users can pick up the new aluminum remote for $19. Apple did not say whether it works with third-party accessories like the Bose Sounddock and whether or not it pairs like the previous-generation model did. We also don’t know if the new Apple Remote works with the Apple TV which, interestingly, still ships with the previous-gen remote. Perhaps Apple is working on a rumored multi-touch remote as an Apple TV exclusive?